Flooring Tile - Grout not waterproof?
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linngee
10-31-04, 08:04 AM
Hi
I've just moved into a newly built flat with tiled bathroom. The tile grout turns dark with water contact and takes hours to dry. The building contractor is responsible for all "defective" work for 12 months. Problem 1 is he is insisting the grout is waterproof when I can see it's not. Problem 2 is all the flats in my building are tiled by the same contractor and I'm worried that the water is seeping into the walls behind all of the flats. I have alerted the housing assoc. which lets the flats but they just send out the contractor and accept his decision. Am I right to be concerned about this?
I've just moved into a newly built flat with tiled bathroom. The tile grout turns dark with water contact and takes hours to dry. The building contractor is responsible for all "defective" work for 12 months. Problem 1 is he is insisting the grout is waterproof when I can see it's not. Problem 2 is all the flats in my building are tiled by the same contractor and I'm worried that the water is seeping into the walls behind all of the flats. I have alerted the housing assoc. which lets the flats but they just send out the contractor and accept his decision. Am I right to be concerned about this?
majakdragon
10-31-04, 09:03 AM
linngee;
Welcome to the DIY forums.
Tile grout can be made semi-waterproof by the application of a sealer. The grout should be allowed to cure for 25 days before the sealer is applied. The sealer will help stop the water absorption by the porous grout. Liquids should be cleaned up quickly to minimize the chance of any discoloration.
You can check to see if your grout has indeed been sealed and waterproof by taking an eyedropper and placing a drop of water on the grout. Watch it and see if it just sits there for a few minutes or if it is absorbed. If it sits there for a few minutes and then slowly begins to be absorbed will indicate that it has been sealed. If it absorbs quickly then most likely it hasnt or has been sealed improperly.
Sealed grout will still turn dark if allowed to stay wet for 5 min. The wetness will not be allowed to pass through to the thinset bed under it if it has been properly sealed. The sealer also HELPS to minimize staining of the grout.
You can always call a different tile contractor from a different town and ask them how to test your tile grout for water resistance.
If you find that the grout has not been sealed you can go to your local home improvement center or tile supplier and purchase a sealer to apply yourself. The cost is usually less than $20 but is worth the peace of mind it gives. Sealing an average sized bathroom should take less than 15 min. It comes in a small bottle with an applicator top. IF you have unglazed(not shiny) tile you may want to seal the whole thing,(tile & Grout). This would be applied with an applicator available where you buy the sealer. This is ONLY if your tile is UNGLAZED.
*DISCLAIMER*
This is a summary of the instructions that were supplied when I installed my own tile(kitchen,bathroom,hallway).
Welcome to the DIY forums.
Tile grout can be made semi-waterproof by the application of a sealer. The grout should be allowed to cure for 25 days before the sealer is applied. The sealer will help stop the water absorption by the porous grout. Liquids should be cleaned up quickly to minimize the chance of any discoloration.
You can check to see if your grout has indeed been sealed and waterproof by taking an eyedropper and placing a drop of water on the grout. Watch it and see if it just sits there for a few minutes or if it is absorbed. If it sits there for a few minutes and then slowly begins to be absorbed will indicate that it has been sealed. If it absorbs quickly then most likely it hasnt or has been sealed improperly.
Sealed grout will still turn dark if allowed to stay wet for 5 min. The wetness will not be allowed to pass through to the thinset bed under it if it has been properly sealed. The sealer also HELPS to minimize staining of the grout.
You can always call a different tile contractor from a different town and ask them how to test your tile grout for water resistance.
If you find that the grout has not been sealed you can go to your local home improvement center or tile supplier and purchase a sealer to apply yourself. The cost is usually less than $20 but is worth the peace of mind it gives. Sealing an average sized bathroom should take less than 15 min. It comes in a small bottle with an applicator top. IF you have unglazed(not shiny) tile you may want to seal the whole thing,(tile & Grout). This would be applied with an applicator available where you buy the sealer. This is ONLY if your tile is UNGLAZED.
*DISCLAIMER*
This is a summary of the instructions that were supplied when I installed my own tile(kitchen,bathroom,hallway).
Ed Imeduc
10-31-04, 09:20 AM
Go to Home depot are Lowes and ask for tile sealer. For a few $$.$$ your done with it.
ED ;)
ED ;)
linngee
10-31-04, 10:24 AM
Many thanks for your very helpful replies :)
Daniel Wachtel
10-31-04, 11:00 AM
With tile sealer you get what you pay for, do not go cheap.
linngee
10-31-04, 02:11 PM
As long as I can show the housing association that the grout has not been sealed/improperly sealed, they will have it repaired for me. The contractor has a duty to fix any defects as it's a new build so the work won't cost me anything. (Trying to get him to admit there's a problem is my main hurdle)
I was worried about water soaking into the wall behind the tiling(behind the shower) but from your replies it seems that isn't likely.
Once again,thanks to all who took the time to reply.
I was worried about water soaking into the wall behind the tiling(behind the shower) but from your replies it seems that isn't likely.
Once again,thanks to all who took the time to reply.
COBALT
11-02-04, 10:04 AM
There's a couple of things here you need to be aware of before you beat up the contractor, or spend a bunch of time trying to seal your grout.
First, what type of grout is it - sanded or unsanded? Unmodified or modified? If latex modified grout was used often it's not sealed, because water based sealers won't penetrate very well. Usually the manufacturer of the grout recomends a type of sealer even if it's modified as a stain blocker, but not as a "waterproofer". Some have teflon additives to give it an extra punch, but no sealed grout is ever 100% water proof. Just using any old sealer at the store may cause you more problems than you already have, so don't rush to fix it unless you have an idea what type of grout was used. Then determine the type of sealer to use.
You also need to be careful with how it's applied. There are various applicators, but the best one I've seen is the little bottle with the brush like end on it you can put sealer in, and then brush it on. Remember that sealer generally goes on the grout - not on the tile if the tile is glazed, so you have to apply it to the grout line unit it won't absorb any more sealer, then wipe with a clean cloth. This process can take some time (certainly more than 15 minutes for a first-time seal), and depending on the sealer can really smell funky, so you might want to wear a mask with a filter on it.
Also, the smaller the tile the more dense the grout quantity, the longer it will take.
First, what type of grout is it - sanded or unsanded? Unmodified or modified? If latex modified grout was used often it's not sealed, because water based sealers won't penetrate very well. Usually the manufacturer of the grout recomends a type of sealer even if it's modified as a stain blocker, but not as a "waterproofer". Some have teflon additives to give it an extra punch, but no sealed grout is ever 100% water proof. Just using any old sealer at the store may cause you more problems than you already have, so don't rush to fix it unless you have an idea what type of grout was used. Then determine the type of sealer to use.
You also need to be careful with how it's applied. There are various applicators, but the best one I've seen is the little bottle with the brush like end on it you can put sealer in, and then brush it on. Remember that sealer generally goes on the grout - not on the tile if the tile is glazed, so you have to apply it to the grout line unit it won't absorb any more sealer, then wipe with a clean cloth. This process can take some time (certainly more than 15 minutes for a first-time seal), and depending on the sealer can really smell funky, so you might want to wear a mask with a filter on it.
Also, the smaller the tile the more dense the grout quantity, the longer it will take.